Mackay Tourism General manager Tas Webber is confident the region will bounce back from the bushfires.Contributed

Environment

Mackay Tourism confident region will bounce back from fires

by Mitchell-Bazley

5th Dec 2018 9:05 AM
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DEVASTATING bushfires have taken an immediate toll on the region's tourism and plans are already under way to get the Pioneer Valley to bounce back in the long term.

Pinnacle Pub, famous for it's meat pies, is just one of many businesses in the Valley that has suffered as a direct result of the emergency situation.

Pinnacle Pub head cook Chris Tully said the entire community of Pinnacle has suffered as a result of the bushfires.

"We probably sell over 600 or 700 pies per weekend, however during the bushfires we would've probably sold about 200 just over the last weekend,” Mrs Tully said.

Many businesses around Pinnacle have supported those who are battling the bushfires and Mrs Tully said the pub has also done their part to show support.

"I know community businesses have been donating food for the firefighters and volunteers, we have been donating pies for the volunteers to help feed them while their battling many of the blazes”.

Mr's Tully said while businesses in the upper Pioneer Valley had it worse, road closures have been a large factor in the lack of business.

"I'd say the town has suffered, but it's not only here but other places like Mirani, I know some people have it tough there,” she said.

Mackay Tourism General Manager Tas Webber said many of the tourist areas in the Pioneer Valley have not been assessed yet.

"At the moment safety is paramount, it's important that we let the firefighters and the emergency services do their job right now, right now the National Parks are not open so we are keeping tourists out of the area,” Mr Webber said.

"We have been doing assessment of our business operators up in the Pioneer Valley who have lost a significant amount of bookings and also perishable foods from power outages”.

Mr Webber said the impacts the bushfires have had on the Pioneer Valley region are unlike any previous natural disaster.

"I think this is unprecedented, I think we are yet to understand what the impact will be in the longer term, we know that the forest will probably regenerate quite quickly, to what scale that is we are unsure,” he said.

Mr Webber believes the resilience of the residents in the Pioneer Valley will contribute to the region's recovery.

"I think they will be able to bounce back quite well as they tend to stick together in these times of natural disasters,” he said.

Mackay Tourism are currently working on a communication plan and a marketing campaign that will come as a result of the bushfire disaster.

"We are going to assess the full impacts of who was affected and see what the outcomes of that were, and we will activate the plan when it is appropriate,” he said.

"We are working daily with Tourism Queensland as well as Mackay Regional Council to see what we can to do get these businesses back on there feet and up and running”.